1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing system for processing signals using a plurality of instruments including an image pickup apparatus for picking up subject images.
2. Description of Related Art
Endoscopes are widely used in medical and industrial fields. Recent years have seen wide use of endoscope apparatuses that include an endoscope equipped with an external television camera, which is constructed by attaching a television camera having image pickup means to the eye cup of the optical endoscope, or include an electronic endoscope having image pickup means built in the distal end portion of the endoscope, and display an image captured by the endoscope on the monitor to enable the user to perform observation and treatment while viewing the displayed image.
These endoscope apparatuses employ a light source apparatus for supplying illumination light to the endoscope, a camera control unit (also referred to as “video processor”) including an image signal processing circuit for displaying an endoscopic image, a TV monitor for displaying the endoscopic image, as well as a plurality of peripheral apparatuses such as, e.g., an insufflation apparatus and high frequency cauterization apparatus. An endoscope system that allows treatment or surgery to be carried out under endoscopic observation is thus constructed and has been practically used.
In such an endoscope system, the plurality of peripheral apparatuses are typically connected to a system controller for concentrated control.
The peripheral apparatuses of the endoscope system are equipped with electronic instruments such as an image pickup device and image processing means, precise mechanisms such as filter drive mechanism for sequentially irradiating light beams of RGB three colors, and consumable items such as a light source lamp, etc. Therefore the peripheral apparatuses normally require periodical maintenance by maintenance workers having related expertise.
In many cases, however, a single maintenance worker is in charge of maintaining a plurality of electronic endoscopes and the endoscope processors. In some cases, the maintenance worker carries out the work of maintaining electronic endoscopes and endoscope processors that are remotely located. This situation has caused problems including high maintenance cost and inability to quickly address abnormalities that the electronic endoscopes and endoscope processor may have.
To solve these problems, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-263063 discloses an endoscope system that allows the maintenance work to be quickly conducted even at a remote location, employing a technique which allows a remotely located service server to monitor endoscope processors installed in a plurality of facilities and instruments connected to the endoscope processors.
Further, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-111080 proposes a surgery support system that during surgery constantly maintains the settings of instruments in the surgery room at appropriate states, thus enabling it to remotely provide an appropriate surgery support.